Coda
by Delylah
Summary: "My problem is, I like you, so I'll always try to cover for you." How much did Auggie cover for Annie when she went on an unsanctioned op with no backup, and wound up in a federal interrogation room?
1. Chapter 1: It Starts Out Like a Murmur

Author's Note: First story in this fandom. Hope it doesn't suck...I'm not sure I'm comfortable in this playground yet, but since we saw little of Auggie and Annie interacting in WIAWNSB I thought I'd take a stab at writing the ep. from Auggie's point of view. It won't be more than about 5 chapters, if that.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, or anything to do with Covert Affairs on USA. I'm making no profit from this work of fiction. It's just for fun. I have nothing worth suing over. I did borrow a few bits of dialogue from episode 8.

Summary: "My problem is, I like you, and I'll always want to cover for you." (Auggie to Annie, WIAWNSB - 1x08) Just how much did Auggie cover for Annie when she went on an unsanctioned op with no backup? Implied Auggie/Natasha, implied Auggie/Liza, Auggie/Annie friendship with hints of something deeper.

* * *

Auggie was returning from his daily briefing with Joan when the strident _beep_ of an "access denied" alert, accompanied by a sharp intake of breath caught his attention. He didn't need the subtle waft of citrus to tell him the guilty party was Annie Walker.

"_Right on time, Annie," _he thought, grinning knowingly as he counted back the weeks in his head. She'd been with the Company just long enough for her curiosity to overcome her fear of committing a security breach. He wondered which particular conspiracy theory she'd decided to query, and couldn't resist teasing her.

"Uh-oh, I know that sound! Access denied," he said gleefully. "Someone's gonna throw a net over your head in five...four...three..."

"Har har," Annie replied acerbically. "I mock your attempt at humor."

"So, what are you researching? JFK's assassination?"

"Uh, no. Just a blown password. I'm checking on something for Joan."

Auggie paused a moment, his smile fading slowly. Annie was lying to him; he could hear it in her voice. Whatever she was searching for wasn't necessarily a big deal. Even after a few months on the job she was still a rookie. Her clearance was restricted to data concerning operations she was directly involved in, and cases that were considered required reading for farm-fresh recruits. Still, the fact that she felt it necessary to try to deceive him bothered him more than he cared to admit. He was unsettled enough to make another lame attempt at a joke – though one that had some truth to it.

"Be careful. The walls around here have ears and eyes," he said. "Try to avoid committing any major felonies."

Annie didn't respond. He hoped she was merely engrossed in her work rather than offended by his teasing. He turned to head back to his office, only to stop short when he heard another obnoxious _beep._

Annie tittered nervously. "Damn password," she murmured.

"At least turn down your speakers," Auggie said in a stage-whisper.

Again, Annie didn't answer. Something was up with her, he was sure of it now. He resolved to catch her before she left after work to try and suss her out. He had one of those feelings that left his scalp crawling and sent goosebumps down his arms. Annie had been the cause of too many of those sensations during her short tenure at the CIA, and they usually involved her hurling herself into mortal peril. He didn't think he could take another close call with Annie so quick on the heels of the fiasco with Tash.

An hour later he heard the sharp staccato of Annie's heels as she walked down the hall past the open glass doors of his office.

"Hey, Annie, do you have a minute?" he called.

Her steps paused in front of the door but she didn't step past the threshold.

"Sorry, Auggie, can it wait?" she said briskly. "Joan asked me to help with translating the audio from a surveillance feed and I was just on my way to deliver the results. I'll catch up with you when I get back," she called as she continued past the door. She hadn't stopped long enough to give him the chance to argue, and he didn't want to make a scene by calling her back. So he waited.

Half an hour later, he could no longer ignore the nagging feeling that something was amiss. Annie hadn't returned to her desk, and, after a quick circuit around the floor (including a brief inspection of the ladies room) failed to reveal the scent of her perfume, he came to the conclusion she had left the office. Cursing softly to himself, he returned to his office and dialed her blackberry, breathing a sigh of relief when she answered.

"Hey Auggie. What's up?" she asked breezily.

"Annie, where are you?"

"Um, on my way home," she answered, sounding puzzled. "Why?"

"I wanted to talk to you, remember?"

He heard a smacking sound, as if she had slapped her forehead with her hand.

"Oh, God, Auggie, I'm sorry. The girls have a thing at school and I promised Danielle I'd be there so I left a few minutes early. I completely forgot. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Auggie began to feel a little foolish. Annie sounded perfectly normal. Maybe he was being paranoid. Seeing Tash again after all these years had put him into a tailspin. It would probably be months before he got over her losing her for the second time. Not knowing where Tash was or if she was in danger had him on edge and had probably magnified his natural tendency to be overprotective of Annie. _Transference_ _would probably be the official diagnosis, _he thought, giving himself a mental shake. He cleared his throat awkwardly before answering.

"It was nothing important. Why don't you come by my place after you're done and we can talk then?"

There was a brief pause before she replied, "I thought your ladyfriend took up most of your evenings these days."

Auggie sighed at the tone in Annie's voice, the one that made him feel as if he was about three inches tall and covered in slime. "She's out of town on an assignment and won't be back until Friday."

Annie chuckled lightly into the phone. "So what you're really saying is that you're bored and want some company?"

Auggie grinned, glad the conversation had returned to a lighter note. "That, and takeout. How does Thai sound?"

"Mmm, it sounds great. I've been craving Tom Yum. Would nine be too late? I don't think I can get away before then."

"Nine is good. Just give me a call when you're on your way. And have fun with the girls."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I will. Bye, Auggie."

"Bye, Annie."

Auggie disconnected the call and began the process of shutting down his computer for the evening. Footsteps sounded outside his door, and he waved to whomever might be waiting outside, indicating they should enter. As the door slid open with a whisper, Auggie's olfactory senses were immediately assaulted by a blast of Jai Wilcox's Polo Double Black.

"Auggie."

"Jai," Auggie replied, not bothering to look in his coworker's direction as he flipped switches and straightened his desktop.

"On your way out?"

"Yep," Auggie answered shortly. He knew what Jai's next question would be, and he was unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. _Three...two...one..._

"Seen Annie?" Jai asked, trying to sound casual. It was all Auggie could do not to laugh.

"Nope."

Auggie knew he could have been more polite, but Jai Wilcox rubbed every nerve he had the wrong way. Auggie knew he, himself had a reputation for playing fast and loose with women, but he at least didn't brag about his conquests the next day. His stomach rolled sickeningly at the thought that Annie was next on Jai's list, knowing there wasn't much he could do to stop it. He was surprised she'd held out this long. Jai's record for "breaking in" a rookie stood at 36 hours, and Annie was his favorite type...petite, blonde, and smart enough to know better. In other words, she was a challenge.

"Really?" Jai said skeptically. "I would have sworn I saw her stop by earlier. Thought she might want to grab a drink after work. You're welcome to come too, of course," he added as an afterthought.

Auggie's irritation quickly changed to smoldering resentment. This evening was the first opportunity he'd had to spend any time with Annie outside of work since his impromptu railway adventure. He missed the easy friendship he and Annie had shared before she'd found out about both Tash and Liza. He was looking forward to the chance to talk with her and hopefully clear the air, and he'd be damned if he let Wilcox circumvent his plans.

"Come to think of it, Jai, she did pop in and mention she had to leave early. Family night with the girls, a school function or something," Auggie supplied. "Said she'd be busy all evening."

"Odd. She didn't mention anything about it this morning."

"I wasn't aware the two of you were coordinating your schedules these days," Auggie said icily. "Anything else I can do for you, Jai?"

"No. Have a good one."

"You, too."

Auggie breathed a sigh of relief when Jai was gone. Before he left, he snapped on his ionic air filter, hoping that by morning the lingering scent of Jai's cologne would have dissipated. On the way down in the elevator, he was chagrined to find himself whistling happily, anticipating a pleasant evening for the first time in weeks.


	2. Chapter 2: Then It Grows Like Thunder

At eight-thirty Auggie called Annie's favorite Thai restaurant and ordered Pad Thai for two along with the Tom Yum soup Annie had requested. If she arrived at nine as she'd planned, the food would be delivered shortly afterwards and they could enjoy their meal together while it was hot. But when the delivery driver arrived at ten after nine, Annie still hadn't shown up. She hadn't even called Auggie to let him know she was on her way. He tipped the driver generously and carried the food into the kitchen to warm in the oven, even though the smell was mouth-watering and he was starving.

At nine-thirty Auggie gave up waiting and dished up a portion of the spicy noodles for himself, devouring them hungrily. Between bites he dialed Annie's Blackberry. The call went straight to voice-mail, so he assumed she was probably on her way and had once again let her phone battery die. _Gotta break her of that habit, _he thought. He knew she wouldn't be angry that he had eaten without her. If the situation had been reversed and Annie had been the one waiting, she'd have dug in the moment the food was delivered. She got cranky when she hadn't eaten in a while.

By ten o'clock Auggie was pacing the pathway between the front door and the bedroom, his hand drumming steadily against his thigh. The skin-crawling sensation was back, and as he replayed their last conversation in his head, a cold sense of dread settle in the pit of his stomach.

_"Have fun with the girls."_

_"Huh? Oh, I will. Thanks. See you soon."_

"Damn it, Annie," he swore out loud to his empty apartment. He couldn't believe he'd missed her slight stumble before. He was completely off his game. He hoped maybe she'd already had plans with Jai and simply hadn't wanted to tell him, knowing of his dislike for their co-worker. But her odd manner earlier in the day followed by the brush-off she gave him before she left were rapidly convincing him otherwise.

Suddenly he stopped pacing and turned an ear towards the television. He'd turned it on earlier and left the volume low, finding the constant hum of voices preferable to the empty silence of his apartment. The news was on, and he thought he'd heard something important in the lead-in prior to the dramatic theme music. He fumbled for the remote and increased the volume.

_"Earlier this evening firefighters responded to an alarm at a local auction house, but the blaze had already been doused by the on-site sprinkler system by the time the crews of stations six and seven arrived. At least four people were injured in the fire and transported by EMS to George Washington University Hospital for treatment. The names of the victims have not yet been released, pending notification of family members. A number of paintings and sculptures sustained significant damage, totalling as much as thirty million dollars. DCFD officials refused to speculate whether arson was indicated at this point in the investigation."_

Auggie groaned in disbelief. Annie had asked him about filing a civ ob on an auction house earlier today. What were the chances that the auction house with the fire _wasn't_ Brambles?

_Slim and none, _he thought. _Annie, what have you gotten yourself into now?_

As if in answer to his unspoken question, his cell phone trilled sharply. Auggie breathed an enormous sigh of relief and collapsed onto the sofa as he punched the button to answer the call.

"Annie, I've been worried sick. Where are you?"

There was a moment of silence on the line followed by an uncomfortable feminine laugh.

"Hello to you, too, Auggie," Liza Hearn said in a distant tone. "Who is Annie?"

_I so don't need this right now,_ Auggie thought as he scrambled to think of an explanation that would be plausible and at the same time deprive Liza of any work-related information.

"Hi, Liza. Sorry about that. Didn't I tell you my niece was visiting this week?" he asked, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt.

"Auggie, I didn't even know you had a niece," Liza replied shortly.

"Yeah. Several, actually. Nephews, too. Annie is the oldest. She's a senior this year, applying for colleges. She's visiting campuses with a couple of friends this week so she's staying with me for a few days."

"Oh." Liza's voice had thawed somewhat. "No, you didn't mention it."

"In my defense...we haven't exactly talked much about family, Liza," Auggie said, deepening his voice with just a hint of suggestion. Liza gave him a sultry laugh.

"No, no we haven't. We've had much more interesting things to...talk...about."

Auggie was rapidly losing his patience. He struggled to hold on to the seductive note long enough to convince Liza that Annie wasn't a threat.

"Yeah. Believe me, I'm looking forward to "talking" to you again on Friday. Multiple times. But for now I need to track my cousin down. She went out for supper with her friends earlier and she was supposed to be back an hour ago."

"No problem, Auggie," Liza said in a much warmer voice, and Auggie knew he'd been successful. Then she asked, "Hey, she won't still be there Friday night, will she?"

Auggie held the phone away from his ear for a moment as he seriously contemplated throwing it across the room. Instead he stood, walked to the door and thumped it dully a couple of times, before breathing a huge sigh into the mouthpiece of his cell.

"Thank God, I think that's her now. I'll call you Friday."

Before Liza could say anything else, he pressed the _END _button on his cell and returned to the sofa, reaching in front of him for the laptop on the coffee table. After performing a voice-search for the number he needed, he stood and began dialing, pacing the floor of his apartment once again as he counted the rings until a frazzled-sounding feminine voice answered.

"Bramble's Auction House. Frances Holcomb."

Auggie thanked his lucky stars that a woman had answered. He might at least be able to charm her into getting the information he needed. He cleared his throat and affected a British accent.

"Miss Holcomb, this is Charles Braddock with Lloyd's of London. I'm calling regarding this evening's incident."

"Oh, my. How...I mean, when... I'm sorry. I didn't expect we'd be hearing from you so quickly."

Auggie was simultaneously relieved and dismayed to know that he had been correct in surmising the fire had indeed occurred at Bramble's. At least now he had a possible lead on Annie's whereabouts, but he couldn't shake the bone-deep feeling that she was in trouble.

"We make it our business to anticipate our customer's needs, Miss Holcomb. In order to begin my paperwork, I must obtain a copy of the police report. Is the director on site by chance?"

Auggie heard a strange hiccuping noise over the phone, and when the woman spoke again, it was in a strained voice.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Braddock, but our director was killed in the accident. I'm her personal assistant."

Auggie swallowed firmly, taken aback for a moment. He struggled to gather his wits about him as the chilly ache that had seemed to settle in the pit of his stomach earlier solidified into a block of ice

"Good heavens," he said finally, breathing out hard. "I had no idea. I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

Auggie heard a quiet sniffle, and even though he felt like an bastard for continuing his facade, he needed whatever details the woman could provide.

"Frances, I know this must be a difficult situation for you, but I do need some information if you can provide it."

"Certainly, if I'm able."

"As I mentioned earlier, I need the police report in order to start a claim file. Were you given a case number?"

"Yes, I made sure to write it down. I have it right here. Are you ready?"

Auggie opened a new document on his laptop and repeated the numbers to the secretary as he typed them with fingers that trembled slightly. He needed to end the call quickly before he lost his cool completely, but before he did, there was one thing he needed to know immediately.

"Frances, I hate to ask this next question, but I'm afraid it's necessary, as there is liability coverage in force as well as the property damage. Were there any other fatalities in the fire?"

The poor girl's voice dropped to nearly a whisper.

"Yes, there were three."

Auggie broke out in a cold sweat as his heart began to thud painfully in his chest. He cleared his throat several times until he felt he could speak in a normal voice.

"Do you know the victims' names?"

"No, I'm sorry. According to the police, none of the men were carrying identification."

_Men. She said men. She said none of the __**men**__ were carrying identification, _Auggie chanted to himself. Dizzy with relief, he bent at the waist and took in a deep lungful of air, feeling the pain in his chest begin to subside.

"I see. Thank you, Miss Holcomb. You've been very helpful. We'll be in touch again soon," he said and ended the call. He sat for a moment running through the possibilities in his head.

_Annie could be fine. Maybe she just forgot we made plans, or she was too tired and she's safe and sound at home in bed._

Auggie dismissed that possibility almost immediately. It just wasn't like Annie not to at least call and beg off. The easy way to find out would be to call her sister and ask for her, but he did not want to take the chance of alarming Danielle.

_She could be at the police station giving a report._

That was probably the best possibility. But again, it wasn't like Annie to call and let him know what was going on.

_She could have gotten into a wreck. She could have been abducted. Or shot. Or strangled. _

Auggie thought of the many ops Annie had been involved in since her arrival at the CIA that had just gone plain wrong, putting her life in danger countless times. He flipped his phone open and began dialing again, this time calling the office shuttle. As he waited impatiently for it to arrive, he could focus on only one thought.

_Annie, where the hell are you?_


End file.
